This topic is meant to mention the key personalities which influenced the doctrine of abrogation, or contributed to it, for it or against it. It is not to debate their opinions. That is to be done in the topic, "Scholars opinions about abrogation".

The idea is to highlight the person's background, education and teachers, discipline and methodology, peers, evolution of thought, the era he lived and the environment that may have played a role in shaping his view on abrogation.

He is Abdullah ibn Al-Abbaas, may God have been pleased with him, the young cousin of the prophet, peace be upon him. He was born at 3 B.H. and died at 68 A.H. When the Prophet (PBUH) died, he was a teenager.

He was very inquisitive and intellectual. Many reports mention how he resolved conflicts and confusion with his straight-out logic. He often volunteered to answer questions, but he continued to learn from the elder Sahaaba.

Most abrogation claims trace back to him. None of them, however, are narrations of something he heard from the Prophet (PBUH). Also, all of them, to the best of my knowledge, are narrated by a few, i.e., none are ubiquitous (متواتر). A few of them actually contradict other narrations about the same case.

He is Muhammad Ibn Bahr Al-Asfahani, born 254 H. and died 322 H. He was a capable writer and speaker, and an isolationist (معتزلي) knowledgeable in interpretation and grammar, and he also wrote poetry. He worked for the Abbasi Khalif Almuqtader-Billah, and wrote for him. He was respected by people in power as well as knowledgeable people at the time.

He wrote an elaborate exegesis of 14 volumes, and the book "the Abrogating and Abrogated", and reportedly other books including a grammar book.

He is the most prominent anti-abrogation scholar among the originalists, and his opinions on the subject draw a lot of attention, and wrath, from pro-abrogation writers as he is the only notable exception to an otherwise credible consensus about the subject at the time.

He is Ahmad Ibn Abdul-Halim, also known as Ad-Dahlawi (الدهلوي) in reference to Dehli, the town in India where he was born in 1703 AD. He died in 1762 AD, in the 12th Hijri century. He is a well respected scholar who is known for reducing the number of abrogated verses to only 5 verses. The name "Shah Waliullah" means "Big Ally of God" in the local language.

He came from a religious, scholarly family where his father was a recognized scholar who reviewed the religious edicts for the Sultan at the time. He learned the Quran by heart at the age of 7, and was a student of the Hanafi school of thought and also studied medicine, logic, and philosophy. When he went for the pilgrimage, he stayed on for a while and interacted with the scholars in Mecca. Upon his return to India, he would teach students at his home, then the Sultan built a huge school for him called Dar Al-'ulum where he continued to teach to a bigger audience.

He is credited with returning the Islamic thought in India to its origins after mythical ideas had taken over. He is also credited with opening the door for ijtihad (theological research aimed at reaching opinions) beyond the 4 established schools of thought of early Islam. He also had an impact on the resistance to the British occupation in India.

He wrote a number of books, the most prominent of which are "حجة الله البالغة في أسرار الحديث وحكم التشريع" and "الإنصاف في بيان سبب الاختلاف". Here is the more detailed source of this biography.

Shah Waliullah...He wrote a number of books, the most prominent of which are "حجة الله البالغة في أسرار الحديث وحكم التشريع" and "الإنصاف في بيان سبب الاختلاف". Here is the more detailed source of this biography.

According to this web site, Waliullah's book where he narrowed down abrogation cases to five is الفوز الكبير:

Ali Hasan Al-Areedh dedicates a full chapter, Chapter 8, in his book فتح المنان في نسخ القرآن to Abu-Muslim Al-Asfahaani. He writes this about him (translation and emphasis mine),

"So who is this scholar who dared to contradict all Muslim scholars without fear or apprehension?

His life was full of knowledge and work, judicial and political. He was an honorable scholar, literary author, eloquent poet, uniquely genius, great debater, deeply knowledgeable of exegesis and other disciplines, knew grammar. His peers admitted his intelligence and acumen, quickness and soundness of mind, strength of argument, thoughtfulness and brilliance.

Historians mentioned that Abu-Muslim was a practical scholar, pious and God-fearing, none have ever questioned his commitment to religion, or alleged aberration in his faith. His mentality was mature and multi-faceted. He managed to combine the world and the religion, scholastics, legislation and politics. He was so talented that he translated Farsi poems to proper Arabic poems!

He was so good that some Shia claimed he was Shii. Some Hanafi scholars wondered how such a prominent scholar couldn't agree about abrogation. Ibn Hamza Al-Fanaari, in his book فصول البدائع في أصول الشرائع tried to make the case that Al-Asfahaani did not actually deny abrogation, by saying that the difference is only semantics, or that we did not get all that he wrote."

I was stunned that Al-Jabri, on page 50 of his book , is describing Al-Suyuti under the heading "Those enamored/misled by Abrogation" (المفتونون بالنسخ) as one of "readers who have no share in Islamic studies that would entitle them to pursue juristic rulings, who made false claims on God and His Prophet and His book that wouldn't be fit to discuss." Certainly a far harsher attack than with others who are even stronger advocates of a broad abrogation doctrine. It almost sounded personal, except that the two men are centuries apart.

I was stunned that Al-Jabri, on page 50 of his book , is describing Al-Suyuti under the heading "Those enamored/misled by Abrogation" (المفتونون بالنسخ) as one of "readers who have no share in Islamic studies that would entitle them to pursue juristic rulings, who made false claims on God and His Prophet and His book that wouldn't be fit to discuss."

That sure is surprising. I never read but high praise for the man. The only criticism I read about him was for his liberal use of Israelite stories in his exegesis, "Tafseer Al-Jalaalayn". It's a proper criticism because he quoted the stories as facts and without any authentication.

Born 1924 A.D. in Kurdstan, Iraq. He studied Arabic, literature, logic, Foundations of jurisprudence and Mathematics. He received his Ijaaza (License/Bachelors' degree) in Islamic disciplines in 1946 and Master's in Islamic law in 1969 from Baghdad University, Master's in comparative jurisprudence in 1971 from Al-Azhar University, Master's in law in 1973 from Cairo University, Ph.D. in comparative jurisprudence with distinction in 1975 from Al-Azhar University and Ph.D. in law in 2006 from An-Nahrayn University.

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